Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts Tres

[flynnibus]

Lol. This is honestly what I think every time I see people raving about the food at Disney. I mean don't get me wrong, Disney does have some decent to good food to offer at Epcot and the resorts, but the way people rave about it, you'd have thought they were dining in the most expensive restaurant in NY. Disney offers good food that I have enjoyed (that is way overpriced), but it isn't fine dining in any sense at the majority of the restaurants with the possible exception of Albert and Victoria's.

Well back in the 80s.. it was top notch. The diverse mixture.. the settings.. the atmosphere.. the details. They were never 'I have 5 different servers to do my bidding' types of places.. but they were worth the trip. Now? Not so much.

The rushed tables.. the crowds.. the limited menus.. the absurd prices.. the reduced quality... the missing details. It's a shadow of its former self.

 

[GoofGoof]

I would agree that it is crazy not to plan/do research for a Disney vacation (or really any vacation for that matter), but how complicated does it have to get before it becomes too complicated? I think Disney is approaching that line, and for some guests, it wouldn't surprise me if they've been pushed past it. Vacation planning shouldn't be reducing people to tears because it is so complicated to figure out (and on a website that works about as well as if a 10 year old had created it no less). I would hate to be a first time WDW attendee right now.

The website is a joke. How hard is it in this day to build a website that works? A company the size of TWDC should be ashamed.

 

[willtravel]

Yes everyone should have some sort of plan before going on any vacation. But a vacation should be flexible. This isn't a project that needs a Project plan or does it? Maybe it needs milestones and dates and plan b, etc etc :lookaroun

I think there are people who just like to plan everything in advance for Disney. And I think that puts them into overload. After looking at Disneys site and going the first time you have your feet wet. You learn from your mistakes. Even the best planning the first time will never go as planned.

 

[flynnibus]

I just find it bizarre how quickly summer movies are in and out these days ... Iron Man 3 is ancient history and Star Trek is almost as old. ...and those are summer movies. They'll be in the dollar theaters (do they even exist anymore?) in a month and out on DVD in two. It's just a ridiculously short window and if you don't make it big in your opening weekend, you're dead in the water(like say The Internship or AFter Earth).

It's the impatient... now now now mentality that has propagated through our lives. The notion of putting the big movies on 3 or 4 screens in a single multiplex... plus the size of the multiplexes makes it so everyone can see the movie as soon as they want. There is no need for a movie to run for 8-10 weeks because the excess demand, combined with the front-end loaded advertising makes for a boom or bust 1-3 weeks.

Remember when you used to go and find the movie 'sold out' and had to pick another movie? I have to imagine theatres are actually losing money compared to the old model.. where people would see their second choice, and then come back another night to see their first choice.

Now with internet ticketing and so many screens.. you never show up to find yourself shutout.

Theatres have kind of whored themselves out... there is no more drawn out relationship.. just hit it and quit it

 

[Taylor]

Theatres have kind of whored themselves out... there is no more drawn out relationship.. just hit it and quit it

Well there following the rest of America

 

[ChrisFL]

I just find it bizarre how quickly summer movies are in and out these days ... Iron Man 3 is ancient history and Star Trek is almost as old. ...and those are summer movies. They'll be in the dollar theaters (do they even exist anymore?) in a month and out on DVD in two. It's just a ridiculously short window and if you don't make it big in your opening weekend, you're dead in the water(like say The Internship or AFter Earth).

Agreed and it's going to be a bad thing for the industry IMO, no longer are the studios going to be hopeful for "word of mouth" if the movie is good, even if the marketing wasn't good.

Marketing is 99.9% of the game it seems like. Even if the movie sucks, a good trailer and marketing will get the ticket sales.

 

[doctornick]

I am 99% sure that facility is slated for demolition.

If the expansion includes the SOA, then I would assume the Premiere is likely gone. But I could see TDO using the Premiere in the short term for something while they re-do the Theater of the Stars and/or VOTLM and then after new shows are up and running in those facilities, tearing down the Premiere as part of a larger removal of the SOA.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Not old, perhaps old school. It shouldn't be work to plan and visit a family resort vacation destination ..and everything Disney has done has made it more complicated and more of a chore than it ever used to be.

You wouldn't need to plan like this to visit in 1973 or 1993 (hell, even 2003) ...the reason you do now has everything to do with Disney's business model and squeezing every penny out of every guest ...and by increasing capacity without adding or expanding its parks.

The only reason that it is happening now to anyone is because so many feel that they have to stay in one of the mousetrap resorts. Then they need to plan every minute of every day down to the finest detail, if they want to eat or see anything.

I still go offsite and the only planning I do is to figure out when would be the best time to go and then I go. I don't think about where I will eat until a few minutes before I get real hungry. Then I'm going to jump in my car and within a few minutes, I will be facing every possible type of eating establishment known to man and all at a reasonable price. Who knew?

How the new system will impact my trips in the future still remains to be seen, but I can tell you this, they can give me all the "magic" bands they have, it's still isn't going to make me spend anymore money then I would have anyway. Sorry, about that Disney, I'm not that easy. When and if they make my time at Disney unpleasant or impossible, I will go elsewhere. It really is simple to not be taken advantage of, you just don't let them. It's easier to do once the Magic turns into Nightmare!

 

[bubbles1812]

Remember when you used to go and find the movie 'sold out' and had to pick another movie? I have to imagine theatres are actually losing money compared to the old model.. where people would see their second choice, and then come back another night to see their first choice.

Theatres have kind of whored themselves out... there is no more drawn out relationship.. just hit it and quit it

Haha. I love the analogy. I do certainly remember when things used to be sold out much more consistently. Dating myself but I remember Titanic (Hey no judging, I was 9, and Titanic was awesome ) shows being sold out for weeks on end. That thing was in theaters for months. It's amazing thinking about that, and then thinking about how movies go in and out of theaters so fast.

But I wouldn't worry too much about the movie theaters... The way they've jacked up their snack and soda prices, they must be printing money (Kidding... Kind of. I know theaters have their own problems but seriously, it's ridiculous how high prices have gone for tickets and snacks.)

 

[crispy]

There's a big difference between planning and scheduling every minute.

Which is why I don't like WDW is becoming and am against the whole MagicBand idea. I have been to WDW enough to know that I can get an ADR at great places like Kona Cafe or Sanaa without a tremendous amount of notice, and I don't get too worked up if I miss certain attractions because I have done them before and sometimes it's more fun to people watch and soak up the atmosphere anyway.

Contrast to someone who has never been to WDW planning that once-on-a-lifetime trip. In order to have those character meals they dreamed of, they DO have to schedule 6 months in advance or spend weeks checking and hope that someone cancels. Now, they are being told that to ride the rides they have seen on TV and read about, they have to schedule fastpasses 2 months in advance. So, yes, people do get crazy with planning, but it is a problem that WDW has perpetuated.

 

[ChrisFL]

At TDS they are (sadly) killing the wonderful Mythica show with no replacement announced yet (although there will be one)

Kinda sad, its funny, I love the Mythica show, but it ironically doesn't fit with any of the other theming around it, so it's always been nice, yet out of place for me at the same time.

 

[crispy]

I would agree that it is crazy not to plan/do research for a Disney vacation (or really any vacation for that matter), but how complicated does it have to get before it becomes too complicated? I think Disney is approaching that line, and for some guests, it wouldn't surprise me if they've been pushed past it. Vacation planning shouldn't be reducing people to tears because it is so complicated to figure out (and on a website that works about as well as if a 10 year old had created it no less). I would hate to be a first time WDW attendee right now.

I agree with you 100%. Planning a trip to WDW has almost reached the point of ridiculousness, and with the MagicBand/NextGen stuff added, it will reach that point.

We visited Busch Garden Williamsburg last year, and it was so nice just to be able to walk around a park and enjoy it. I had researched the park a bit so I was familiar with the rides and the layout of the park, but we were able to just take our time an enjoy everything. I haven't been able to do that at WDW in a really long time because even if I am not in a hurry, the people around me all seem to be frantically rushing to get somewhere.

 

[Funmeister]

If Twinkies can come back...so can Disney Parks (Florida)...right?

 

[luv]

A friend of the family stopped by the MK while in Orlando. He said it seemed to him to be "a low rent amusement park."

He's not anti-Disney and has no axe to grind. That was just his honest opinion.

Every time I hear stuff like this, I get more ticked off with Disney.

 

[PhotoDave219]

I heard about this last week and someone described the whole announcement as being "another" part of the OLC's aggressive 5 year cost-cutting plan. This person would know what they're talking about, and it's not the first time I've heard mention of TDR making cuts.

The Tokyo product is still leagues above anything we're seeing in the states, but I am a little concerned that 10 years from now, we might look back at right now (or a year or two ago) and view that as the "glory years" of TDR much the same way we look back at early-1990s WDW now.

Eliminating Mythica (one of the most gorgeous pieces of Disney entertainment) without an immediate replacement is a bit puzzling if it's not being done to cut costs. On the other hand, it sounds like Mermaid is receiving a nice upgrade and the projection show will fill a serious gap in the nighttime entertainment lineup.

Due to cultural pride and the guest demographic, I can't see TDR ever truly slipping, but it is a bit concerning to me...

How much money did the Tsunami & earthquakes cost them?

 

[PhotoDave219]

Most will never even consider dining Ruth's or Shula's for a quality steakhouse. They are content with the familiarity of Le Cellier, it is a glorified Outcrap Steakhouse.

Actually I got better service & steak at Outback compared to the last time I went to Le Cellier

 

[PhotoDave219]

And when he told people to get under the freeway me and my dad just looked at each other in disbelief worse spot possible to be at!

Actually.... during a tornado, thats your best chance to live than staying in your car. Horrifing terror starts around the 4 min mark

 

[PhotoDave219]

Ahahaha. I forgot about that. Yeah, I looked at my dad the same way. No way you live in Kansas and don't know that. Overpasses during a tornado = Wind tunnels = Injury and death.

You need to get under the girders. Staying on the highway gets you killed.

 

[PhotoDave219]

The reduction in hours was discussed on a few threads several months ago although I don't recall them being discussed recently.

It's yet another example of WDW nickel-and-diming its "guests".

I supposed I'd be more sympathetic if we saw it in lower ticket prices or CMs were paid more, but I think it's pretty obvious where the money is going.

Sounds like an interesting book that should be written....

 

[71jason]

Well back in the 80s.. it was top notch. The diverse mixture.. the settings.. the atmosphere.. the details. They were never 'I have 5 different servers to do my bidding' types of places.. but they were worth the trip. Now? Not so much.

The rushed tables.. the crowds.. the limited menus.. the absurd prices.. the reduced quality... the missing details. It's a shadow of its former self.

At the same time, the rest of Orlando has caught up/surpassed them. Look at Sand Lake Road. I think it comes down to the Grand Floridian Effect. They are charging high-end rates (or, more likely, offering a "deal" on high-end rates) to people who don't really know what to expect for that kind of money. Less informed guests are easier to please than high information guests.